Transfer files from 95 with no usb or disc dr

I have an old CTX desktop using Windows 95 with no usb port or recordable disc drive (read-only) no working internet (no ethernet port just phone lines)--how do I transfer files--music and pictures--that are too big for HD floppies!! I couldn't believe I had files as late as 2001 stored on the pc. Any ideas or are these lost forever? Thanks!

you could try removing the hard drive and placing it in a enclosure or another computer.add a cheap network card pci or usb controller.try using 7-Zip to make a split archive and copy the files to the floppy disks.ask a computer technician to backup the files for you.

Thanks for the advice. I was hoping for some "magic" cables but realize there aren't many places on my dinosaur. 1GB RAM was big back then right--1996, 1997?? Ha ha! I might take my tower to a tech and see what they can do. Thanks for the quick reply!

Wow, I forgot about ZIP! But I'm back to the original how do I download to the old pc and is there enough space--seriously! USB controller, huh. I'm going to look into that, perhaps scavenge something. My tower has been unplugged for almost 10 years in the basement and I was surprised everything still worked. Thanks for the quick reply.

Your problem is that the new computer probably doesn't have a parallel or serial port and your old computer doesn't have an ethernet or usb port. The old machine has a floppy drive and cd drive to install software. The cheapest method is to put a net card in the ctx, the next would be to put a cdrw drive in. You may be able to find them used,

Actually it was unheard of. Almost no new machines supported over 256MB of RAM in that timeframe, and Windows 95 errored-out with more than 512MB installed (without some tweaking).

"But I'm back to the original how do I download to the old pc and is there enough space--seriously! USB controller, huh. I'm going to look into that, perhaps scavenge something."

Forget using USB with the Win95 machine. The "original" two versions (Win95 and Win95A) didn't even support it. Win95B & C did only very marginally. If your new machine does have serial/parallel ports (not terribly likely), you could try something such as Laplink, but as wizard-fred mentioned, moving the hard-drive to an external USB case and pulling the data from there would be a better solution. Otherwise, as you mentioned, it may be best to have a tech do it for you...

Exactly my problem!!! I should have replaced the disc drive years ago--saw one on clearance at Best Buy years ago for about $25. I actually bought an external floppy disc drive years ago--with an USB connector--just in case and that's what I've been using recently to transfer the smaller document files to my laptop. I'm going to check online. Thanks again!

Gee, I never heard of WIN95A--not sure what version I have. I do like the idea of installing a recordable disc drive. I haven't looked into if there's a cable with a parallel on one end and usb on the other. Must exist, ehh? Thanks!

Do you intend to continue using the CTX computer? If not, why both with all that. Not much in the way of modern programs that will run on that 95 rig. I suggest you belly up on it. Go for the USB solution.

Again (and trying to clarify what's been said already), trying to install a USB card into the Windows'95 machine (aka CTX machine) would likely be of little help, due to the pitiful support Win95(B&C) had for USB.

"Span-zipping" (similar to a floppy backup) would also be an option, but again, involves the use of floppies (perhaps a great deal of them) and would fail if any of the files aren't written properly from the old machine or read properly on the new machine (assuming the new machine even has a floppy drive).

Networking the machines could also work, but (unless using crossover cables) would involve purchasing a router (and network card for the CTX machine if it doesn't have it---and don't even think wireless router/card here), and configuring the network and permissions on each of the machines to allow file transfers.

Cabling two systems together is "doable", but would be dependent on the interfaces available to each machine. And although (as wizard-fred mentioned) parallel-to-USB cables exist, they're exclusively for printers. I've also connected two systems together with modems, but that's likely not an option you want to pursue.

Installing a CD-writer to the CTX machine would be a slightly better option, but finding CD-writing software for Win'95 would also be difficult (though I'm sure there's something out there). Plus, this would be a "one-shot" purchase, unless you have another machine to put the CD-writer into.

Removing the hard-drive from the Win95 machine and connecting to a newer machine that already has USB with something like this (OtH's link):

would give you the most likely success to recover the files too big for floppies. Whichever method you decide on (and assuming these files/photos are important) once you've moved them, back them up to something more durable (CD/DVD media).

To OtheHill: Oh no, my CTX pc has been unplugged in a basement for nearly 10 years. With parents' deaths, marriage, kids and new technology, I just never got around to updating my old pc or transferring files--files like family pictures that my brothers and I can't find the originals to but they exist in my pc when I scanned some. It's the only reason my hubby hadn't trashed my pc years ago.

Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions. I need to get a tech and will probably install a new drive--SOMEHOW! I'll let y'all know in a couple of weeks if I'm lucky.

yeah, i've read parallel ports are less reliable than serial b/c of how fast info is rcv'd at the endpoint, one hiccup and the file is trashed anyway. like i mentioned before, thanks for everyone's suggestions. i'm going to find a tech to install a new drive--hopefully--and will update in a few weeks on my success (or failure!). thanks!

Well she'll want to do it the least expensive way as possible and, what for her, is the most practical. Yeah, we'd just pull the drive out and connect it to the newer PC but she seems kind of hesitant to do that. Zip drives are just another option. (All that assumes the 95 PC still works)

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